Seven Thousand Years
by digigirl132
Summary: The Earl may have become the frightening leader of the Noah, but he started his life as a normal human being. How did he change so much? Well, it all started with a wish... oneshot, crossover with xxxHOLiC


This all was pointless. There just wasn't any other way to put it. What business did the eldest son of a predominant English family have in Japan, of all places? It wasn't as if one could just take the local train and be there in an hour, after all. He had been traveling for months now, and it was all for one purpose.

Jacob had heard of this place in an old book at the library. He had found this book by chance while he was doing research for his thesis. For some reason a book on eastern legends had been shelved in the section on 18th century diplomats. Of course, Jacob wasn't one to just ignore a curiosity; he had opened it to a random page and skimmed the contents. That was when he had found out about a mysterious shop in Japan that dealt not in wares, but in wishes.

But that was hardly enough of a reason to drop everything and travel halfway around the world. After all, that book had been a book on legends, not on reality. This shop probably didn't even exist. Jacob was sure that he was going to go to the area listed and find nothing there but a run down shack or something. Yes, that's all it was going to be. This was going to turn out to be a big waste of his time, and he would just return to England and continue his studies, his wish not granted.

He was very surprised, though, to find that there was something there besides a run down shack. It was actually a very nice house, set back off the road with a large fence. Jacob just stared at the house for a moment, unsure of what to do. Should he just walk in? Or should he wait for someone to show up at the gates and show him in? He had been so busy preparing himself for a big letdown that he wasn't sure of what to do. Of course, he had people to confer with. The oldest son of a predominant family never traveled alone, after all. "What do you think," he said as he looked to the man next to him.

The man, who was looking in as well, said, "I apologize, sir. It seems as though your travels were for nothing."

This confused Jacob. Nothing? But the shop was right there! How could this all be for nothing? He was about to say something when the man on his other side said, "Yeah, this is what happens when you trust books. You get led to an empty yard. C'mon, let's go. I hear there's some really nice red-light districts here."

Jacob inwardly scoffed his companions. They all only had one thing on their mind. It was disgusting. He would replace them if he could, but his father had insisted that he didn't. Family politics and all. Jacob didn't understand it at all, though. Why should he put up with clearly inferior people? The world would be so much better if people like them didn't exist. If only…

"You go on without me," Jacob said, "I want to check this out real quick."

The others gladly agreed, and they started to walk off. Jacob stayed where he was until they were out of sight. He didn't want anyone to be watching, just in case something weird happened. He adjusted his exceptionally tall hat, one which he preferred to wear despite of the jokes made about it, as he looked around to make sure that nobody was watching. e HeOnce they were out of sight, Jacob pushed the gates open and stepped in.

The first thing he noticed was the dramatic change. It wasn't a change in climate, though. It was still spring in here, just as it was outside. It felt different, though. It was as if this place were full of mysteries that no other place in the world even knew of. Jacob felt as though he could spend a hundred lifetimes here and still find something new. If he were to sum it up in one word, the only word that really fit was 'amazing.'

He noticed that there was a young boy in the yard. This boy couldn't have been much older than eleven or twelve, and he definitely looked out of place here. He must have been English, but he was staying at a Japanese shop. How did he even get here in the first place? Jacob was about to ask the boy those very questions, but he didn't get a chance to. At that moment the front door opened, and a young Japanese woman stepped out. "Greetings," she said, "Welcome to my shop. You are a traveler from England, are you not?"

Jacob was surprised by how well she spoke English. And how did she know of his arrival? He hadn't sent her a letter or anything. Maybe this was part of her powers? Whatever the case, Jacob took a step forward and said, "Indeed. I am Jacob, son of the Earl of-"

"You do not need to introduce yourself," the woman said coyly, "You will not be here long."

That sounded less than encouraging. Jacob was a little put-off by this woman's attitude, too. It was as if she were toying with him, like how a cat torments their prey before finally killing. He cleared his throat and said, "You are the time witch, correct?"

The woman nodded. "That is right. And, since you can appear in my shop, I assume you have a wish…?"

With a short nod Jacob said, "Yes. I would like-"

Once again he was interrupted, though, this time by a pair of young girls carrying a blanket and a tray for tea. The time witch watched them as they set up a small area for them to sit and drink tea, smiling slightly as she did so. Then the two girls bowed to the witch and said, "It's ready, master," in unison.

"Thank you, Maru. Thank you, Moro," the witch said to the two girls, "You two are excused now."

With that the two girls ran off, singing something about new guests and granting wishes. Then the witch walked over to the blanket and sat down, indicating to Jacob to do the same. "Come," she said, "Let us discuss things over tea."

Though Jacob wanted to get right to business, he knew that he had to adhere to formalities. He had been raised to become a proper Earl, after all. His father would expect no less. So, he sat down across from the witch, and he waited for her to speak first.

The witch took her time, though. First she prepared the tea for the two of them. When she held out a cup for Jacob he took it with thanks, and he sipped carefully from it. The witch then took a drink from her own cup, and afterwards she said, "Was the trip from England difficult?"

Staying polite, Jacob nodded. "Indeed," he said, "It took many months, and we had many hardships along the way. It was well worth it, though. This is a beautiful country."

The witch nodded at that. She said, "It is, especially in spring. That is why I chose to be born here, after all."

That statement struck Jacob as a little odd. Who chooses where they are born? He wasn't about to question it, though, as he wanted to stay in her good graces. He said, "I can understand the feeling. I would move here permanently, if I had that option."

"And that is why you're here, is it not," the witch said, "You wish to change your life?"

Truthfully Jacob was surprised by the witch's words, but he knew that he shouldn't have been. This woman had known that he was coming to Japan, so there was little reason why she shouldn't know about his ambitions either. "You're right," he said, "I do wish to change my life."

The witch took another sip from her cup, and then said, "Tell me: what is your wish?"

"I want to become a God."

All was silent for a moment. The witch simply glanced over at Jacob from the edge of her cup and said, "Go on."

Jacob took this invitation, and he began to describe his ambitions. "This life is unsettling," he said, "The most powerful people in the world have gone mad, and there are thieves and murderers everywhere. Humanity is corrupt. I want to cleanse the world of their evil, to make it a better place. Then a new generation of people, one without those flaws that humanity carries, can be born and prosper."

He paused for a moment, then added, "And I want thirteen disciples to follow me, too."

"Why thirteen," the witch asked.

"Jesus had twelve," Jacob said simply, "If I am to become the God of this world, then I should have one more."

The time witch was quiet for a very long time. It seemed as though she were weighing the possibilities in her mind. Then, finally, she spoke. The words came out slowly and evenly, and for some reason they sounded very grave. "That wish would have a very high price," she said, "I do not think you can pay it."

This possibility had already played out in his mind, and he had already decided the answer. "I will pay any price, if it will save the world," Jacob said.

The witch chuckled at that. "'Save the world,' you say," she said, "That is a very broad statement. Two sides of the same war can say they are fighting to 'save the world,' though they may have very different goals in the end."

Jacob frowned at that. What was the witch trying to say? Before he could ask, though, she said, "Very well. I will grant your wish. However, one price is not enough. It will take three for your wish to be granted."

"Three," Jacob said curiously, "What three are those?"

"I will explain in a moment," she said, "But first I shall grant your wish. You have agreed to pay 'any price', no matter what it is, so I will collect the payment at a later date."

This talk made Jacob a little suspicious, but he did not question it. He was actually going to get his wish! Any price was well worth this power. Soon he was going to be able to save the world from all of this pain and suffering, and he couldn't have been happier.

The witch clapped her hands, and the two girls returned. Each of them was carrying a box, though each box looked vastly different. The pink-haired girl handed her box, a small grey cube, to Jacob as the witch said, "This holds all of your powers, as well as the powers of your disciples. It also holds all of the tools that you will need to complete your wish. As long as that box is closed, the powers will not activate. You can choose to hold onto them until a later time, if you wish."

Jacob nodded at that, and he looked to the box in the blue-haired girl's hands. This one looked more like a miniature treasure chest. The witch continued to talk, saying, "However, even if you have your powers, you cannot use them without the right songs. In this box is every song, both vocal and instrumental, that you will need to use your powers and control your tools. Some require singing, and others require the use of a piano. Listen carefully, because each song will only be played once. However, you will be able to play them perfectly even though you will only have heard them once."

With that, the blue-haired girl opened the box. Suddenly Jacob's ears were filled with different melodies and tunes, and each one was being engraved into his memory. It felt as though hours and hours of music had passed through his ears in only a few seconds, and it made his head hurt. However, just as the witch said, each song was imprinted into his mind. He did not know the titles for each song, but he could easily tell them apart in his mind. What's more, he automatically knew what each song was supposed to be used for, as if he had spent years memorizing them.

Was this the power of the time witch? It had to be. No normal person could do this.

When the songs were done the blue-haired girl closed the box, and the two girls stepped back and out of the way. The time witch simply sipped her tea again, and then she said, "Now it is time for you to pay the price."

This was it. Jacob braced himself for the worst. The witch said, "For the first price, you must choose one of the following to keep, and one to give away. Which do you choose: your name, or your title?"

That was it? That was the price? Jacob couldn't believe it. He really had nothing to worry about, if that was the kind of price he had to pay. "I will keep my title as Earl," he said. A name could be given easily, but a title was something difficult to obtain.

The witch nodded. "Very well. From this point forward you will be known simply as 'The Earl.'"

As soon as those words left the witch's mouth, Jacob felt his mind go fuzzy. At that moment he could no longer remember what his name was, nor could he even remember anyone saying it. It was as if that information had been stripped away, never to return. Truthfully, though, the Earl didn't feel sad. After all, it was a small price to pay to become a God. "Alright," he said, "What are the other two prices?"

The witch then shook her head. "That is not for you to know at this moment," she said as she pointed to the box in the Earl's hands, "You will find out the second price when you open that box, and the third much, much later."

Well, there was no time like the present. So, the Earl said, "I just have to open this box to gain my powers, correct?"

The witch nodded. Then the Earl grabbed onto the lid and pulled it off. As soon as he did that thirteen small white lights and one big bright blue light flew out of the box. The blue light flew into his chest, and the others started to circle the Earl. This sudden burst of power made the Earl's chest hurt, and he felt as though he were going to die. It made him lean over a bit, and he almost fell face-first into the tea set. He was able to stay up, though, and soon the pain faded away, leaving only a feeling of immense power in its wake. Then the thirteen small lights circled around the Earl as he sat up again.

With a smirk the witch said, "Very well, then. I will begin to collect the second price."

She set her empty cup down and stood up, and the Earl followed suit. He still held onto the box, though, and the lights followed him. Suddenly, with a wave of her hand, the witch opened up a portal right next to the Earl. The thirteen lights immediately flew into it, and the Earl could feel himself being pulled in as well. Though there was a strong wind in the area, as evident by how the witch's hair flapped about, but nothing else was actually being pulled into the portal. It was just him. "What sort of trick is this," he said angrily.

"This is no trick," The witch said, her previous smile now replaced with a very serious look, "This is the second price: time. You will have to struggle for seven thousand years before your wish will finally be granted. Now, go to the past and begin your payment."

Then the Earl could no longer keep his balance, and he fell in. As he did he let out a long string of curses, ruing the witch and the day she was born. The witch just watched, and she looked almost sad as she did so. After a few moments she held up her hand, and a single glowing light appeared in it. "And now for the third price," she said, speaking directly to the light , "The Earl wished to 'save the world', no matter what it took. I will leave the 'saving' part to you."

The light shivered a little in the witch's hand, and the witch smiled warmly. "Don't be afraid, little one," she said tenderly, as a mother would speak to a child, "It will be a tough journey, but I know you will make it. Take care, Fourteenth."

With that, the light reluctantly flew out of the witch's hand and into the portal. Then the portal closed, severing the connection between past and present. The witch stood there for a moment, just staring at the place where the portal had been. Her job was always difficult, especially in situations like this. Millions- no, billions- were going to die because of this wish. Had she been right to grant it?

Of course she had, she said to herself. This was fate. Nobody could go against fate, even if it was painful. She knew that all too well by now.

There was one last piece to move into place, though. She took a few steps forward and picked up the Earl's hat, which had fallen off of his head when the portal had opened. Then she walked over to the little boy sitting in the yard. He had gone unnoticed, since he was such a quiet person. That would serve the witch's purpose well, though. "Were you paying attention to all of that," she said as she stopped in front of the boy.

The boy just nodded to the witch. Then he said, "Yuuko…was that a good idea? He's gonna destroy the world!"

Yuuko shook her head. "He is not going to destroy the world," she said, "The Fourteenth will stop him. However, in order for that to happen, there is something you must do."

The boy looked at Yuuko curiously. Then she continued, saying, "I have made arrangements for you to go back to England on the Earl's ship. They do not remember him. However, they will remember you. You are the son of a merchant who was a stowaway on one of his father's ships. You just wanted to find adventure, and now that this adventure is done you will go home to England and live out your life."

She set the Earl's hat down on the boy's head and said, "You can remember the songs as well, can't you?"

The hat fell down over the boy's head, but he grabbed the edges and lifted it up so he could see. Then he nodded. With a knowing grin Yuuko said, "Good. Now, at some point in the future you will have a son. He will not be of your blood, but he will be your son nonetheless. Your job is to teach him each and every one of those songs. He must know all of them perfectly. However, you can never tell him why those songs are important. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded again. "Yes, Yuuko."

"Very well." Yuuko looked to the front gates, and then back to the boy. "It is time to go now. The next time we meet you will not be who you are now. You will be someone else entirely, and you will not remember me. Your soul will remember this place, though, and that is why you will come here."

That was a little confusing for the boy, but he nodded. Then Yuuko led him to the gates, and they topped there. The boy, still holding the hat up so he could look at Yuuko, looked like he was going to cry. Then he let the hat fall off of his head as he leaned forward and gave the witch a tight hug. "Goodbye, Yuuko."

With a sad smile Yuuko gratefully returned the hug. "Goodbye, Mana."


End file.
